


exhausted but still so in love

by ballumschmallum



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M, based on a tumblr prompt, ben and callum are married and daddies, soft and exhausted ballum as parents fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:22:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27661307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballumschmallum/pseuds/ballumschmallum
Summary: based on the tumblr prompt "exhausted parents kiss"Ben and Callum have been up most of the night trying to settle their nine month old baby son Freddie.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 8
Kudos: 39





	exhausted but still so in love

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a tumblr prompt I got "exhausted parents kiss". I saw the perfect opportunity to write a soft Ben x Callum fic where Ben and Callum have a baby and post it on AO3 too. I would love to know what you think! x

  
  
  
  


_ At last.  _ Callum let out a relieved sigh as he rested his hands against the side of the wooden cot as he peered down at his baby boy who was sleeping soundly. Although both Callum and Ben had spent  _ hours  _ trying to settle their nine month old son as he was going through the teething stage and was trying everything to get him to go to sleep, Callum could not stop the soft smile that pulled at his lips. His precious baby Freddie looked so peaceful as he curled up in his cot with a fluffy cosy pale blue blanket, laying on his side and sucking his thumb continuously. Callum hated to hear Freddie cry. He could only wish that he could take the pain away but now he is fast asleep, letting his imagination run wild in whatever dreams babies have, it was like Freddie was never in pain or unhappy at all. 

Callum reached out towards the toy monkey that was sat in the corner of the cot and laid it nearer to Freddie to make sure that he could reach out and grab it without making a fuss,  _ hopefully _ . God forbid if Freddie had to sleep without his monkey. One time when Phil babysat while Ben and Callum were on date night, Ben had forgotten to pack the toy monkey in Freddie’s bag and Freddie practically screamed the Mitchell house down. This resulted in them having to quickly grab the bill at the Chinese restaurant they were dining at and rush back to fetch their son.  _ The perfect date. _

Callum ran the back of his index finger down Freddie’s smooth cheek, instantly feeling warm inside at the touch of his baby’s skin against his finger. “Sleep tight mate,” he whispers gently, careful not to wake him before silently padding across the nursery making sure that the night light is switched on before turning off the main light. Callum could see through the curtains how the dark blue of night was slowly toning down to a lighter shade. 

Callum rubbed his eye feeling mentally and physically drained as he entered the main bedroom to find Ben in their bed with no top and one of his legs that was dressed in navy shorts, poking out of the duvet. He was sleeping lightly because as soon as Callum closed the bedroom door, his eyes jolted open.

“He’s finally  _ asleep, _ ” Callum says groggily, as he makes his way across to the bed and practically falls into the covers. 

“Ah well done babe,” Ben commends, tucking his body back into the duvet. He rubbed his hands over his face and let out an exasperated sigh, “Tell you what, I’m so glad that we don’t have Lex tonight, last thing I would want is to drive her to school because she hardly got any sleep and didn't get up on time.”

“Yeah,” Callum smiled thoughtfully as he nestled the back of his head in his pillow, still not quite believing that the little girl who danced to Little Mix with her dad was now in her last year of primary school. “Although with Lex, it’s any excuse really so she doesn’t have to walk these days.” He let out a soft chuckle. 

Ben scoffed humorously, “Yeah.” 

Ben looked over to find Callum looking ahead sadly, like he was in a daze. “You alright?” 

Callum shrugged, “Yeah I’m fine, I just hate to see him in pain you know, and I can’t do anything about it.” He admits, looking down and playing with his fingers aimlessly.

Ben quickly reached out and grabbed hold of the hands that Callum held together, “Hey, you’re an amazing dad. Freddie’s lucky to have ya. Lexi’s lucky to have ya. I’m lucky to have ya,” he swallowed.

“Oh so you finally agree on how lucky you are,” Callum’s eyes glint with playfulness. Callum’s expression turns warm and soft and loving, he is looking at Ben like he could not be more in love with this man even if he tried. Ben was truly the love of his life. “You’re an amazing dad too, Ben. The best.” 

“I wouldn’t say  _ the best _ ,” Ben chuckled, his cheeks tingeing a slight shade of pink. “You seem to forget that I didn’t bring Lexi up from birth, not even when I came out of prison, I left it all to Lola until Lexi was 5.” 

“Yeah but you have been there for her since,” Callum reminded him softly. “Lexi adores you, she’s a right daddy’s little girl.”

Ben smiled sadly, “That will always be one of my biggest regrets you know,” he confides in Callum, the only person who he can lay his flaws out on the table to and knew he would never judge him. “Not being there when Lexi was a baby. I thought she would be better off without me. After my friend Abi died, it changed me and I wanted to be there and be a part of Lexi’s life. I wanted her to have a dad. The day I got shot and thought I was going to die…”

“Don’t talk about that,” Callum cut in hastily, the experience still cutting through him painfully at the thought of all the potential missed chances he could have had with Ben if he had died. 

“Sorry,” Ben smiled timidly. “Anyway, I thought even if I died or say one day if I got hit by a bus, at least Lexi would know that she had a dad who loved her with all his being and was there for her until the end.” 

“And Lexi does know that, and so does Freddie,” Callum tells him, running his fingers through Ben’s short brown hair. “Even though he’s a baby and has only just managed to say the word  _ dadda _ .” 

“I bet Freddie loves you more though,” Ben adds playfully, “with all the creative snacks you make him shaped as animals and the Teletubbies.” 

Callum smiles. It’s a tired smile but he cannot help but smile brilliantly, his dimples evidently on display. “I don’t think that’s true, don’t think I don’t hear you sing to him when you don’t think I hear when I’m in the shower or upstairs or in the kitchen.” 

Ben blushes furiously bright pink and coughs distractedly, “I think it’s time we got some sleep now,” he says quickly and shuffles under the covers to get comfortable. “Baby sleeps, we sleep remember.” He turns to look over at the digital clock that is sat at the bedside table. “And I have to be up in 2 and a half hours,” he winces painfully. 

“I’ll make you coffee in a big thermal mug to go,” Callum confirms. “And I’ll run you a bubble batch and book in an early night for when you get home.” 

A lovingly wide smile falls on Ben’s lips, still not quite believing that this man laying beside him was his,  _ forever _ . He leans forward and despite the tiredness looming heavily over his eyelids, plants a kiss on Callum’s lips, drowning in them and he kisses with nothing but pure devotion. It was the perfect kiss between exhausted parents where Ben had to force his lips to part. 

“You certainly know the way to my heart, Highway,” Ben smiles happily, looking up into Callum’s stunning blue eyes. 

Callum smiles, lifting his left hand up and wriggling his fingers. A silver wedding band was shining proudly on his ring finger, “ _ Highway-Mitchell. _ ” He emphasises.

Ben felt his heart skip leaping, welcoming that warm fuzzy feeling inside that feels like home, which you only feel when you are madly and utterly besotted with your husband. He lifts his left hand up and slots it in Callum’s hand, fitting perfectly like a missing piece of a jigsaw, like it was always meant to be there. Ben’s wedding band was shimmering alongside Callum’s, connecting like a magnet, a significant bond fizzing like fireworks that can only be exchanged between two soulmates.

“Always darlin’.”


End file.
